The Lowa Phoenix Mesh Lo shoes walk the walk with warm weather trekking and go the extra mile as every-day footwear.
On a recent trip to Korea with my extended family, I brought along my Lowa Phoenix Mesh Lo trekkers as my only pair of shoes for two weeks of travel. On day one we braved the intense summer sun to visit a traditional Korean folk village outside of Seoul. With so much to see, we spent over four hours exploring the village in temperatures over 90 degrees F. The prominent mesh built into the front and sides of the shoes kept my feet comfortable and cool all afternoon in the summer heat.
Later on our trip, I took my Lowa Phoenix Mesh Lo shoes trekking in Seoraksan National Park in the northwest corner of Korea. This is the land of craggy peaks near the site of the 2018 winter Olympics. My wife and I did a seven-hour hike to the top of a mountain held sacred by traditional Buddhists, and then enjoyed a four-hour hike the following day. On our ascent, the stiff rubber soles held up mightily while rock hopping on a scree field, and the low top design gave just enough ankle support when laced tightly.
The shoes offered plenty of traction on the steep gravelly descent and the roomy toe box helped to minimize toe bang. The Phoenix Mesh Los are very capable trekking footwear, but I would shy away from them on a more technical hike. The shoe sacrifices the kind of burly toe and foot protection found in an approach shoe for breathability and hot weather, lightweight comfort. The non-mesh part of the upper is sturdy leather and looks to be well built and long lasting.
Pavement-beating street trekking can be a great way to get to know a shoe. We spent the last few days of our trip getting to know the city of Seoul, by way of food. My Lowa Phoenix Mesh Los were my only footwear option, and from crowded markets to high-end restaurants, I wore them to every meal. I have the dark grey/grey color, and think they look great. Even my extended family from Korea, many of who are far more stylish that I am, found the shoes to be very passable at higher end establishments. Above all, the Lowa Phoenix Mesh Lo trekkers are comfortable, lightweight and great for hot weather walking.
The men’s shoes are available in a variety of fun color options, including Blue and Kiwi/Gray. The women’s color choices are Gray/Gray and Berry/Gray.
I have long skinny feet with low arches, and I found the Lowa Phoenix Mesh Lo trekkers to fit snugly: no heel slip, arch soreness, or rubbing. I wear size 12 in the Lowa Phoenix Mesh Lo, but typically wear a 12.5 in most other brands. The men’s sizes are 7- 12, 13,14 and the women’s are 5- 10.5.
Bottom Line: Warm weather trekkers that go the extra mile.
Manufacturer’s Site: https://www.lowaboots.com/mens/trekking/phoenix-mesh-lo
$180 men’s (Amazon), women’s (Amazon).